Chapter Eight: Promoting Good Health

for Children

Health Policies

Help manage risk to good physical and mental health

Should be developed and directed for children and staff

Promote healthy practices Lay the foundation for child care

health

Designing a Health Policy

Establish a process (What process will be followed?)

Assign responsibility (Who is responsible for making sure process is followed?)

Offer guidance for action (What needs to be done? Are there any time parameters for limitations?)

Providing High Quality Child Care

Goal One Maximizing health status of children

Goal Two Minimizing risk to health, safety, and well-being of children

Goal Three Using education as a tool to promote health and reduce risk

Goal Four Recognizing the importance of guidelines

Children’s Health Records

Include Health history and updates Immunization records Injury reports Assessment and screening results

Medication log and permission Health communication history Reports of illness in care Growth chart

Staff Health

Health History includes Name, etc. and physician’s name Pre-employment exam Immunization records TB test results Hearing and vision screening

Maintaining Staff Health

Exposure to infectious diseases Stress Risk for back injury Potential exposure to environmental

hazards

Providing a Mentally Healthy Environment

Check to make sure that your care Establishes a good relationship with

parents Respect and mutual communication

Responds with consistency, predictability, and regularity

Establishes daily routine = security Provides support and emotional

assurance for child Attention Affection Respect Mutual communication

Helps children to express and identify emotions

Redirects anger and aggression through play and discussion

Provides quiet area so child can be away from stimulation

Values each child’s uniqueness, including culture

Promotes responsive caregiving Is flexible and reasonable in

expectations

Promoting Good Health

Health Policies Help manage risk to good physical and

mental health Should be developed and directed for

children and staff Promote healthy practices Lay the foundation for child care health

Designing a Health Policy

Health Policies Establish a process (What process

will be followed?) Assign responsibility (Who is

responsible for making sure process is followed?)

Offer guidance for action (What needs to be done? Are there any time parameters for limitations?)

Implications for Caregivers

Role Modeling Exhibits knowledge and practice of healthy

behavior Cultural Sensitivity Education

Reality Check:The Resilient Child

Vulnerable child Genetic abnormalities Malnutrition Preterm birth Prenatal stress Drug exposure Temperament

Have more difficulty adapting Parent may have more difficult time

coping and attaching Insecurely attached children may be

more vulnerable due to Poverty Abandonment Chaotic living environment

Resilient child Often first born Securely attached Has high intelligence level

More likely to form close relationships that are trusting

Have positive qualities from both sexes

Outgoing Autonomous Nurturing Emotionally sensitive

Caregiver’s Role

Vulnerable child Extra support Responsive and stimulating care

Resilient child Secure attachment “Cheerleader” support

Reality Check:Secondhand Smoke

Can lead to Respiratory diseases (asthma,

pneumonia, bronchitis, and allergies) Middle-ear infections SIDS Vitamin C deficiency Behavioral problems